Improvement in methods of forming the feet of stockings



W; H ABEL. METHOD 0F FORMING THE FEETOF STOCKINGS.

PatentedAAug.1,1876.

CSV.

/WMSSES IJVVv TORJ ttorney NFETERS, PHPTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C` UNITED STATES PATENT` OEETCE;

WILLIAM H. ABEL, OF BRISTOLNEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN METHODS OF FORMING THE FEET OF STOCKINGS. f

l Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,446, dated August 1, 1876 application filed November 8, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM H. ABEL, ot' Bristol, in the county ot' Grafton and State of' New Hampshire, have invented an Improved' Method or Process of Forming the Foot of Machinelnit Stockings; and .l do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part otl this specification, and representing the foot part of a stocking formed according' to my improvement, together with a portion of the stocking-leg.

My invention consists in the method of knitting the foot-extension a of the stocking A so as to give it perfect shape, without subsequent cutting andtting,.by beginning to narrow it in the machine at the proper place, as at b b, and continuing to narrow at the proper rate until lthe place is reached where the eX- tremity of the foot is to be, as at c o, when the web is brought to its extreme and requisite narrowness, and then beginning to Widen the web, and continuing to widen it at a rate corresponding to that of the previous narrow-A ing, until the full width of the foot-Web again reached, as at the place d d, so that when the foot part is doubled atthe line c c, and lapped over, the two divisions will be of equal size, and similar in shape. The adjacent edges are then crocheted or sewed together in the usual Way, taking care to catch into the second stitches on the widened edges from c c to d d, where no real selvage is formed.

The foot may be knit in any knitting machine capable ot' narrowing and widening, and adapted to this work; but I have invented a knitting-machine adapted to this special purpose, which will form the subjectmatter o additional Letters Patent.

What I claim as my invention, and desire `to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'Ihe improved method or process of form! ing the foot of a machine-knit stocking by first narrowing in akuitting-machine the foot part a, while knitting it, to the utmost extent required, where the extremity ot' the foot is to be, and then correspondingly widening it, thereby at once shaping the foot without subsequent trimming, substantially as herein specied.

WM. H. ABEL.

Witnesses:

S. MILTON BEAN, SAM. HoDGsoN. 

